


Pages of darkness, song of light

by RomanticNoldo



Category: Shannara Series - Terry Brooks, The Shannara Chronicles (TV)
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arranged Marriage, Background Romance, Brother-Sister Conflict, Corruption, Crossover, Death in Childbirth, Discrimination/Racism, F/F, F/M, Family Relationships - Freeform, Father-Son Relationship, Forbidden Love, Grief/Mourning, Implied Mind Rape, Implied/Referenced Abuse, M/M, Magic, Past Romance, Political menace, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Rage against the mentor, Regret, Retelling, Self-Harm/Self-Flogging, Spying, Supernatural enemy, Tons of references to the books, Trauma, Uncle-Niece Relationship, Unrequited Love, Wishsong
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-16 04:41:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29695179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RomanticNoldo/pseuds/RomanticNoldo
Summary: [Basically a retelling of season 2 that is at least slightly more faithful to the source material]Peace never lasts.While the Elven royal family tries to stop the Crimson before another war can break out, Wil is determined to never leave his hard-earned peaceful life again, struggling with the loss of Amberle and an unexpected collateral effect from the Elfstones.But as the source of all the evil he's been fighting since childhood comes threatening the world again, Allanon, plagued by the mistakes in his past, is forced to face once more the fact that some people can't really choose their fate.
Relationships: Allanon & Bandon (Shannara), Allanon & Bremen, Allanon & Wil Ohmsford, Allanon/Breen Elessedil, Amberle Elessedil/Wil Ohmsford, Ander Elessedil/Diana Tilton (past), Ander Elessedil/Original Female Character(s), Bandon/Catania (past), Eretria & Wil Ohmsford, Eretria/Lyria (Shannara), Riga & Original Female Character, Riga/Riga's Wife, Wil Ohmsford/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 4





	Pages of darkness, song of light

The walls of the tower were suffocating him.  
If he could have stopped himself, he would have never entered that place. Too narrow, too dark, ready to crush his soul. He felt trapped – a part of him still wanting to cry out to no avail.  
He leaned on the wall, managed to breathe in, and kept going.  
The voice was still calling him.  
_Child of darkness…_  
It echoed in his head, gentle and honey-like, and he could not avoid following it. After those months – years – of agony, it was a soothing balm he felt he could not survive without.  
And now he would reach it.  
_Child of darkness…_  
He was so close now. The voice had not come until a few days before, but somehow, ever since he had run away, something had told him he should go to that place. As he stumbled through stormy nights, he had felt it calling him home.  
Despite the darkness he was drowning in, he knew he would find peace if he just had been able to keep walking, just for a little while.  
And he needed it before he truly went insane.  
He had to survive. He had to find a place where the ones hunting him down wouldn’t find him. He knew what would happen if they had taken him.  
And in the call, there was a promise that it would not happen again.  
_Come to me, child of darkness._  
The stairs gave room to a wide chamber. Bandon stepped in, his eyes trying to adjust to the darkness.  
He knew that was the right place. The voice had come from there – and now, for the first time, he felt he was truly safe. He could stop running away now.  
He looked around, but there was no one there. And yet the voice came again, clearer than ever before, echoing between the walls.  
_Come to me._  
At last he saw.  
An altar lay ahead of him, at the opposite end of the chamber, and it was not bare. Even through the blackness, he could see what was on its surface.  
It was a huge, thick book, its still white pages open wide, darkness becoming stronger around its edges.  
And it was calling him.  
Even then, he did not resist. He let himself be lured in, towards the altar, every memory fading, for a moment, in the sweet, warm murmuring. That, he thought, was what a mother’s love had to feel like.  
Soon, he was face to face with the tome, close enough to see the dark symbols dotting the pages. He felt the book stare back at him with invisible eyes.  
He was not afraid.  
_Here you are._ It was still friendly, lulling his soul with an almost loving welcome. _I’ve been waiting for you for such a long time._  
Bandon did not answer, realization sweeping over him. It felt as if everything he had done in his life had had no purpose but leading him to that moment, in front of that book he could not avert his eyes from.  
_You know who I am._  
The knowledge rose to his lips before he could help himself. “The Ildatch.”  
He should have known it. What else could that thing be? How could it have felt his existence and be able to communicate with him, long before he came to that tower? He had not even thought about it once since he had left Arborlon… and yet everything seemed so obvious now.  
He knew he had to stay away, to leave that place and run as far as possible. But why should he? The dark’s caress was comforting.  
_Do not be afraid_ , said the book softly. _I am here to help you._  
It wasn’t lying. That, he was sure of. He wouldn’t have felt that wave of hope rising in his chest otherwise. Those words alone had brought peace upon him. He just wanted to sob in relief.  
But he still hesitated to touch those pages.  
Memories came back to his mind, the words Allanon had spoken to him the one time he had told him about the same talisman that was in front of his eyes. _It is not worth to look for such powerful magic. There are many things even druids cannot control. Things like that will just consume you and leave nothing but darkness._  
_I know what he said about me_ , the book laughed. For a moment, knowing it had known his thoughts all along felt like a violation – but it only lasted less than a second, and then calm descended over him again. _But when did he ever do anything but using you?_  
Bandon clenched his teeth, trying to stop the past from flooding his mind once again. It did not work. It came back all the same, taking his breath and strength.  
The same darkness around him, but much more threatening, making him deaf and blind, lost and trapped. His voice unheard, no matter how frantically he wanted to scream. Caged, caged once more, every chain leaving a scar on his wrists and mind.  
And Allanon’s harsh grip on those same scarred hands, his mentor’s eyes piercing through his soul with the same gaze of the demon.  
The memories ripped through his mind, leaving him cold and helpless like he had been most of his life. He could feel his own sanity falter. Then the voice came once more to rescue him.  
_You can trust me_ , spoke the Ildatch seductively. _I can teach you how to attain a power your enemies can only dream of. You will never be hurt again._  
Blinking away tears he had not noticed, Bandon took its words in. Allanon had not spoken to him like that, when he had taken him as his apprentice. He had wanted him as a weapon – and had proceeded to consign him to the enemy.  
But in the book’s tone there was nothing but tenderness, and he felt it was not merely trying to calm him down. It was not just offering him a fleeting hope.  
It was a future. A future he could have, if he had just accepted it.  
“What should I do?” His voice quivered. It seemed to him that the Ildatch was smiling to him through an invisible mouth. He could see it in his mind, but he could not decipher its expression. It was a sensation he couldn’t shake off, even when he knew that it was not possible – but it did not matter. Not after the words it had said.  
_You must use me, child of darkness_ , came the answer. _Take what I offer you, read the secrets I have kept for you – and the power you desire shall be yours._  
All hesitance faded away. He grabbed the tome, unable to resist longer. It almost burned, but he didn’t let go of it, his eyes staring at the words with greed.  
Something seemed to press against his mind – as if the darkness of the chamber had found a way to slip in. It felt horribly wrong, and he panicked. It was far too close to the way his soul had shattered when the Dagda Mor had first taken over him.  
_Stop_ , he thought. And then it did. Terror went away, so quick he thought he had just imagined it. It was just replaced by a complete peace.  
He was the one in control.  
_You are mine now_ , said the Ildatch.  
Bandon just smiled.

**Author's Note:**

> The notes will probably be longer than the story itself.  
> This is my first longfic (since I was eleven, at least), and English is not even my first language, so I have no idea how it will turn out. But. I am basically writing in a fit of disappointment and regret, and because I promised this to a few very lovely people.  
> Season 1 of the Shannara show, while having some parts I genuinely liked, butchered what is basically my favourite fantasy saga ever (apart from LoTR), and season 2, although it was much better and I loved most of it, is basically a fanfiction. If other people can write Shannara fanfictions (and get a budget to turn it into a show, but that's another story), I can try too. So I am rewriting season 2 in a way that can connect at least a bit more to the books, at least to the original tetralogy (and mostly to Wishsong). I kept some plotlines, added others from the books, and then put in the mix some original plotlines, OCs and dynamics. I also kept most original characters from the show, because they had a lot of potential which has mostly been explored, but there are some things I will absolutely keep book!verse:  
> 1-Shea being Wil's grandfather and essentially a good person, without the alcoholism and child abuse which were honestly unnecessary  
> 2-Eventine being a wise and brave, if old and burdened by a painful life, king, and not... whatever they made of him  
> 3-Pyria not existing  
> 4-The Warlock Lord's sword not existing either  
> 5-Eretria being a normal human being and not a half-demon (I personally think her arc is much more interesting given that she is just a common girl who joins the quest because she wants a better life)  
> And finally, although this was not in the book either, Diana not coming back to Ander just a couple days after her former lover's death. Please. That was in poor taste.  
> I hope this results somewhat decent, and I thank in advance anybody who may come across this.


End file.
